Garment stretcher and creaser



June 1940' w. c. HANS-EN I 2, 4,

GARMENT s'ma rcasa Aim cnmsaa Filed Oct. 6, 1938 ra s d 194 .umr-Eo srArl-zs PATENT emce- 6 Claims. (01. ziw-esln This invention relates to garment stretchers an'd creasers, and with regard to certain more specific features, to adjustable apparatus of this .class for placement within garments.

I Among the several objects of the invention may be noted the provision of a light-weight stretcher and creaser which is readily adaptable in its functions to various forms and sizes of clothing; the provision of apparatus ofthe class 1. described which is adjustable and which may be retained inside the garments while the latter are being stored, or dried, or the like; and the provision, of apparatus of this class which is economical to manufacture and which may be ll operated with facility. 'Other objects will be. in

part obvious and in partpointed out hereinafter. The invention accordingly comprises the ele- 'ments and combinations ofelements, features of construction,- and arrangements of partswhich Q will be exemplified in the structures hereinafter j described,'and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the following claims. In the accompanying drawing, in which is illustrated. one oi various possible embodiments of the invention, Fig. 1 is a plan view of my stretcher and creaser setto its small dimensions;

Fig. 2 is a viewsimilar to Fig. 1- but showing the device in the leg of apair of trousers and.

expanded in form to larger, dimensions for stretching, and creasing; U

3 is a cross section'taken on; line 3-3 of P18. 2;

Fig. 4 is a cross section taken on line 4-4 of, Fi 2; and.

. Fig. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view show- ;ngjdetails of a locking mechanism.

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughoutthe several views of thedrawing.

Refen'in'g now more particularly to Fig. 1, there are shownat numerals I and 3 separate side strip members of thin rectangular cross section (see Fig. 5). Member I is formed with endwise u and laterally directed, parallel parts 5 and I at corners 9; and the member I is i'ormed with endwise andlaterally directed, parallel H andat corners ii. The rounded nature of. 'the comer portions (such-as 9) is indicated in Fig. 5. Parts I,',5 andI form a, U-shaped memher A and parts '3, II, I3 form another U-shaped member 13. The open mouths of. the U-shapes are directedtowardsone another with the laterally directed portions 5, 'I-and 'I-I, lying adjacent I one another respectively, and being relatively slidable. The ends of the slidingportions t and I II, I and II are bent over or'deformed to pro- -vide oifset lugs II.

Surrounding the pairs ofend members 5 and I I,

or'Iand llasthecasemaybaisapair ofslid 5 ing preferably tubular, thimbles IS. The openend members surrounded, when the thimbles 10 are in mid-position, such as shown in Fig. 1. In this more or less central. position of the thimbles IS; the end members], I I as well as the end members I, I3, are;relatively slidableso as to provide a lateral adjustment in'the U-shapes A andB. 1 5

The said dimensionis less than the maximum distance between the opposite exterior surfaces of the end members. When a desired adjustment has been attained,the thimbles I9 are pushed latera1ly, whereupon,they.r ide over and squeeze the sloping portions 23; The sloping portions or cam surfaces 28 are caused by the supporting ac- .tion of the lugs II'. The portions 23 are preferably not bent into sloping condition but merely spring into position. Bending is at H, hence they provide springing and frictional holding means for the thimbles ll. The thimbles I! being located between the end members II are held captive and are prevented from moving over the I end ofeither section or member I, I, II or I. 30

'ihe-cross-sections ofthe members I, I, I; and

3, II, I3 are rectangular and relatively thin so as to provide a lateral flexibility butrelative stiflneas in the plane or the quadrilateral formed by the parts asshown. Thus, although the device as a whole is relatively stifl in its quadrilateral plane, the sloping portions 2!,being more or less flexible, provide a' springing means by t which the thimbles I! are retained in their laterally pushed positions so that the respective 40 arms I,- II. and], I! are frictionally held in predetermined positions after adjustment.

' The operation oi the device is as follows:

It is brought into'the position shown in'liig. 1

wherein the thimbles I are more or less cencloth is bent over the relatively thin rectangular tion of maintaining the cloth of the trousers or' the like in tension, thus preventing the introduction of wrinkles, as when drying, or when stored. is maintained, or a crease is introduced, particularly in damp cloth which is drying while stretched.

Advantages of the device are:

1. Its edges are thin, and hence a creasin function is performed by the members i and 3 at the same time that stretching is effected.

2. It is extremely simple to manufacture. For example, in manufacturing the device, it is only necessary to bend two flat metal strips and to turn over the end portions as at IT. The thimbles are very simple to press into form and position.

3. It is light in weight and takes up little room.

4. It is simple to operate.

It will be understood that one device such as shown in Fig. l is inserted into each trouser leg. It is also clear that suitable hooks may be used for support if it is desired to hang the trousers for storage. Otherwise, they may be stored by laying them out fiat with the stretchers therein. The fiatwise arrangement of the bars facilitates the storage of many in stacks, as well as favoring the formation or preservation of a crease.

The principles of construction are applicable to forms of the device for other elements of clothvery ing such as sleeves, shirts, etc.

Advantages of the invention are due to the following conditions:

(I) That the adjacent portions such as 5 and H are flat, which prevents them from slipping past one another when compressed by the annulus or thimble member l9. This is regardless of whether this annulus is long or short. Thus, those portions frictionally engage over an extensive length.

(2) The advantageous elongated form of thimble member l9 ensures an improved frictional grip directly between the adjacent members such as 5 and H, regardless of the shape of said members.

The combination of the elongate thimble and flat portions is particularly effective, although each withoutthe other, comprises a substantial advantage.

In view'oi the above, it will be seen that the several objects of the invention are achieved and other advantageous results attained.

As many changes could be made in the above constructions without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense. v I claim:

1. An adjustable joint for clothing stretcher bars and the like, comprising a pair of adjacent, I

relatively slidable sections, an integral portion of at least one of said Sections being directed toward the other section to provide a resilient wedge-shaped portion between sections, and at least one separate sliding tubular thimble snugly At the same time, a pro-formed crease surrounding the sections where the sections are closely adiacent to one another, said thimble being adapted to slide over said wedge-shaped portion to eilfect a frictional grip between the sections.

2. An adjustable joint for clothing stretcher bars and the like comprising a pair of adjacent, substantially parallel, relatively flat sections, composed of deformable material and being relatively slidable along their flatwise sides, an integral portion of each one of said sections being deformed respectively in a direction toward the other section to provide resilient wedgeshaped portions between sections, and sliding thimbles surrounding the sections and adapted -which are relatively slidable on their flatwise sides, end means on each one of saidsections directed respectively toward the other section to provide resilient wedge-shaped portions between sections, and sliding thimbles surrounding the sections and located between said end means and adapted to slide away from one another over said wedge-shaped portions to effect a frictional grip and being held captive against endwise escape by said end means.

4. An adjustable joint for clothing stretcher bars and the like, comprising a pair of relatively flat slidable sections having adjacent portions. means on one of said sections arranged to maintain said sections in spaced relation to each other at a neighboring region, a separate slidable annulus closely surrounding the said sections at their adjacent portions, said annulus having. an interior dimension less than the maximum distance between the opposite exterior surfaces of said sections at the spaced regions thereof, and said annulus being arranged to slide over said adjacent portions and onto the spaced regions of said sections to frictionally' 7 grip the sections together with the annulus.

5. An adjustable joint for clothing stretcher" bars and the like, comprising a pair of adjacent relatively flat slidable sections, an integral portion of at least one of the sections being directed away from the other section to provide a sloping cam surface, and at least one separate sliding annulus closely surrounding said sections where the sections are closely adjacent one another, said annulus being adapted to slide onto said sloping cam surface to effect a frictional grip between the sections.

6. An arfiustable joint for clothing stretcher bars and the like, comprising, a pair of relatively slidable resilient metal sections having flat surface portions in close adjacence, a portion of one of said sections being bent out of alignment with said closely adjacent portions to provide a region whereat the sections are spaced from each other; a separate slide closely embracing said sections at their adjacent portions and arranged to be moved onto said spaced region, the internal dimension of said slide being lea than .the maximum distance between opposite exterior surfaces of said portions at the spaced WLL'IER C. HANSEN. 

